Former SU coach watches scrimmage

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Among the crowd of family, friends and fans at Southern’s football scrimmage on Saturday, there stood another familiar face. Former Jaguars coach Pete Richardson showed up to take in the lightning-shortened practice, which he said was his first in nearly 21/2 years.

Richardson was fired in 2009, opening the door for current coach Stump Mitchell’s hiring, and both men said they maintain a good relationship.

“We’ve always been together,” Mitchell said. “There’s nothing between coach Richardson and myself but friendship.”

Added Richardson: “I see him every now and then. I tried to step out of it and give him his chance to do his program, and I think that’s the way it should be.”

That hasn’t always been easy for Richardson, especially not with a handful of players still suiting up whom he recruited.

READ MORE